Philadelphia Phillies: Phils report to a new and improved Bright House

CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Phillies trickled into Bright House Field Tuesday to report for spring training. All of the pitchers and catchers, save non-roster invitee Juan Cruz, were there in anticipation of today’s first official workout. Many of the position players arrived as well, even though they won’t start their formal workouts until Friday.

While there were enough new faces around, the most obvious addition at the Phillies’ Carpenter Complex was the permanent structure at the northeast corner of the facility.

For years the Phillies had covered batting cages there, but as soon as they broke camp last season the organization broke ground on an impressive edifice that not only houses new and improved batting cages, but also a large weight room, trainer’s room and a video facility.

“It’s extraordinary,” general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said of the 40,000 square foot addition. “It’s an amazing thing. The relationship we have with the city of Clearwater and what’s been going on here the last six, seven years has been absolutely fantastic.”

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The facility provides a major upgrade when the weather goes afoul, as the batting cages can be converted into indoor pitching mounds or an artificial-turf training area. Perhaps the most significant addition is the expansion of the video capabilities — an improvement considered essential due both to Clearwater’s importance for rehabilitating big-league players and the Phillies’ desire to give prospects a better grasp on how to use video as a learning tool.

“We will be able to link up center field cameras at Ashburn and Roberts (Fields) with the one at Bright House,” Director of Minor League Operations Lee McDaniel, who oversaw the project, said. “Some of the guys who came down really early — Roy Halladay, Ryan Howard, Kyle Kendrick, Domonic Brown — tested it and were really pleased.”

The facility wasn’t fully functional until mid-January, so the major-leaguers won’t get a full offseason of access until next winter.

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A few observations from the day of light, optional work:

•Chase Utley took infield grounders and seemed to be strangely similar to the Chase Utley of last September: Upright and functional.

“Right now he’s doing great,” general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said of Utley. “We’ve heard that before, and things haven’t worked out, especially in the last two spring trainings. But there’s no indication that he shouldn’t be ready to go, ready to play. We’ll have to monitor how much he plays and try to be intelligent about that. But right now he looks like and feels like he’s ready to go.”

It’s worth keeping in mind that this is the last year of Utley’s contract. He’ll make $15 million in 2013. What his value will be on the open market is anyone’s guess at this point, but it seems unlikely any scenario would lead to the Phillies making an in-season contract offer to the second baseman.

•Ben Revere brings a noticeable shot of youthful energy to the park.

Revere didn’t seem to have any nerves about being the kid experiencing his first day at a new school. He was palling around with some of the minor-league outfielders, first during long toss, then breaking out a football and throwing it around the outfield grass of Mike Schmidt Field at the Carpenter Complex. When Jimmy Rollins pulled into the parking lot in the late morning, Revere jogged over and joked with him as the veteran walked into Bright House Field to check in.

•Reliever Mike Adams was throwing, and his arm didn’t fall off. Not that it ever would have, but after news came out of Saint Louis last week that Chris Carpenter would miss all of 2013 when the surgery he had to solve the thoracic outlet syndrome — the same surgery Adams had this offseason — didn’t relieve the problem.

TOS causes poor circulation and weakness throughout the afflicted arm. Adams pitched through the issue last season, then had the top rib on his right side removed to free up the blood vessel and nerve that were being pinched.

Provided he doesn’t have any adverse effects from the procedure, Adams should be the Phils’ set-up man this season.

•Catcher Carlos Ruiz had a brief throwing session. Ruiz can workout and play with the Phillies this spring, but will serve a 25-game suspension for a failed drug test when the regular season begins. It’s expected he’ll address the circumstances that led to the disciplinary action sometime this week.

•According to Amaro, Cruz will be a late arrival because of a mix up between the veteran right-hander’s agent and the organization about the reporting date. He’s expected to arrive at some point today and won’t be disciplined for the mistake.